CEBU Gov. Hilario Davide III has tasked town and city agriculture offices to prepare farmers for a dry spell starting June.

He said the Farmer Scientist Training Program (FSTP) of the Provincial Government will also help disseminate information on how farmers can cope with the effects of the El Niño phenomenon that would cause a drought or low rainfall to Cebu.

The governor’s uncle, Dr. Romulo Davide, an agriculturist and 2012 Ramon Magsaysay awardee, helps the Provincial Government identify strategies to enable farmers to adapt to the weather phenomenon.

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Governor Davide said one of the strategies being studied for Camotes is to tap the Danao Lake to irrigate nearby farms.

“(The lake) is a tourist attraction. If we have to use that for irrigation, we have to
install a system in consultation with National Irrigation Administration (NIA) (because they have the) expertise,” he said.

Provincial Agriculture Department Chief Roldan Sarajena yesterday told Sun.Star Cebu that if the plan pushes through, they will start with a small farm near the lake and study the effects after three months.

But in Barangay Vito in Minglanilla, a P2.2-million irrigation project of the NIA remained idle because the local government was unable to put up electrical connections from the mainland to the site and power the system’s pump.

Vito Barangay Captain Jennifer Lariosa said they are asking for P180,000 from the governor and Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale so that electric posts can be installed to bring the power to the irrigation project.

The project, which was designed to irrigate 105 hectares of farmland, was completed
last year yet.

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